Police, Fire Chiefs Listed For Raises On Council Agenda

September 07, 1988|The Morning Call

Several issues affecting Allentown police and fire personnel, including increasing the chiefs' pay, are on the agenda for City Council today.

According to one proposed resolution, council would increase the position of police chief from a 19-S pay grade to 20-S. That would raise the chief's salary from $50,525 to $52,829. Also, the fire chief's pay grade would be raised to 20-S. The salary for that position would rise from $46,425 to $48,375.

The annual cost of the increases would be $4,254. According to the proposed resolution, the changes would be in accord with the studies of the police and fire departments by Carroll Buracker & Associates of Vienna, Va.

The fire study also suggested that there be a minimum of 27 fire employees per shift. But because of retirements, vacations and "other position vacancies," the resolution says, most of the overtime funds budgeted for fire personnel have been expended. In order to maintainthe recommended staffing levels, council will be asked to transfer $35,000 from the unappropriated balance of the general fund to cover future overtime costs.

Another resolution would allocate $55,916 from the state to the police, fire and officers and employees pension funds. The extra payment was due after it was revealed that the city under-certified the number of employees covered by the pension plans. The funds would be divided this way: $17,222 to the police pension fund; $11,463 to fire pension fund; and $27,231 to the officers and employees fund.

A proposed ordinance regulating street and sidewalk vendors on the Hamilton Mall also is on the agenda. The proposed ordinance would regulate annual, seasonal and 24-hour vendors.

Under a proposed amendment to the ordinance regulating operation and maintenance of the water system, the city also would hold delinquent customers liable for any collection costs or other costs related to collecting late bills.

In other new resolutions on the agenda, the city would apply for a $185,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for rehabilitating low-income housing; and accept a grant of $52,429 for AIDS testing, counseling and partner-notification services.